Big push for students to saddle up
LOCHABER High School second-year pupils hope to get fellow students on their bikes for the Big Pedal 2017.
A Sustrans initiative funded by the Bike Hub, the 2017 challenge will run from Monday March 20 to Friday March 31.
On each day of the challenge, schools compete to see who has the highest number of pupils, parents and staff cycling or scooting to school.
There will be daily prize draws for schools that have at least 15 per cent travelling on two wheels, with the best five days of the challenge determining the overall position. Pupils from Mrs Meldrum’s S2 enterprise class have been carrying out research and coming up with ways of encouraging their peers and teachers to cycle during the challenge and in general. They looked at the benefits of cycling and surveyed pupils and found only around 14 pupils out of 814 regularly cycle to school.
The pupils have also looked at barriers to cycling and ways to overcome these. For example, they are planning to have park and ride areas during the challenge for people living further afield.
Off Beat Bikes has offered free bike servicing for anyone who takes part.
Parent council members Lynsey Shaw and Nix Foster said: ‘ We are delighted with how the initiative has progressed at Lochaber High School.’
Head teacher Jim Sutherland said: ‘I’m really pleased to see pupils, staff, parents, Active Schools and Sustrans working together on this project to improve health fitness and well-being with a positive effect on the environment. The support of local businesses has been invaluable.’